Products: From the land of wallabies

Australia. Land of wallabies and dingos, Nick Cave, Emma Balfour, some of the most beautiful sceneries on Earth and along with them, the most sought-after botanicals.

Born in Scotland in 1843, Thomas Pennington Lucas was a naturalist, having developed a love for natural history, botany and medicine since a young age. As years went by, in 1876 – whilst practicing medicine in London – a bout of tuberculosis made the good doctor decide to search for warmer pastures Down Under, settling at first in Melbourne, and three later, Queensland’s Brisbane.
It was in the latter that, inspired by his own ailment, Dr Lucas carried out numerous scientific studies on the quest for a natural cure for disease, having researched tens of thousands of botanical specimens and found one of particular interest, the papaw tree.
This tree, along with the fruit it bears, impressed the Scottish doctor in such a way that it was described by him as “the world’s greatest healing agent”, having from then on devoted his work to applying it to modern medicine, namely by opening Vera Hospital in Brisbane, an institution where patients were treated solely by his Papaw remedies.
Remarkably, Dr Lucas Papaw Hospital recorded such dramatic results – even in cases of disease until then deemed incurable – that the recognition of its botanical healing powers soon spread worldwide, including a testimony written in 1910 by London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Fast forward a century and Lucas Papaw ointment is available over the counter in two lovely red-clad versions: a 25 g tube (perfect for carrying it around in your bag), and a 75g pot (for stocking in the bathroom cabinet).
Having Carica Papaya (39mg/g Fresh Fermented Fruit) and Pharmaceutical Grade Petroleum Jelly as its main ingredients, it’s recommended for the following skin issues: